1st Anniversary Ale: Imperial Blood Orange Wheat
Hangar 24 Craft Brewing

 

 

 

Had the last glass of the last keg of this beer, much to the dismay of the people behind me in line. This was at the 2nd Anniversary celebration at the brewery. Reviewed from notes.

A - A truly deep orangish red color, pretty true to what you'd expect from a beer brewed with blood oranges. Slightly hazy with good effervescence. I was pretty struck by the beautiful color of this beer, it really glowed.

S - Sweet orangy notes, but not as much sharp citrus as I was expecting. Smells more like an orange-infused stout (minus any coffee or dark chocolate) with notes of caramel and toffee.

T - The dark, brooding blood orange flavor comes out immediately with a mildly toasty, wheaty malt flavor playing the supporting part. Nicely rounded citrus and pine hops, which were present in more strength than I expected. I found it to be an excellent balance and interplay of dark orange malt and spicy hops. I would describe this beer as a darker version of the H24 Orange Wheat crossed with a double IPA, and the result is a surprisingly balanced and complex brew.

M - Medium body with a fairly high amount of carbonation, just the right amount of stickiness.

D - An overall unique and complex brew, I'd recommend it!

Sampled at the first anniversary party 5/30/2009. Reviewed from notes.

Pours an ugly pinkish/orange color with some head but no lace or retention.

Aroma is pungent. I detect sour oranges and alcohol masking most of (but not all of) the wheat. Very citric and possibly grapefruity.

Flavor is heavy on the blood orange. Sour, strong, but sorta decent in its own way. I kind of want to pour some sugar into the glass to take away from the acidic bite while I eat it with a spoon directly off the rind.

Medium/heavy body and not overly drinkable.

I didnt get to try the last keg at the 2nd anniversary but I heard it was better. But then again hype is a bitch. Interesting style and a worthwhile experiment but I think this was a miss.